Stuck Together
by Olafur Neal
Summary: No this is not a drabble, at all, it was a request fic from disturbingclarity. She wanted to see Lucien and Jean trapped somewhere and Lucien doesn't handle it so well but Jean is there to help him out. I've been working on it for awhile and it coincided with the tumblr drabble challenge so I thought I'd stick to the stuck theme this week and post it.


**A/N: So this kinda fits in with the current hiatus drabble challenge over on tumblr, but I have been working on this for a while now, and this is in no way a drabble. Disturbingclarity requested it and I gladly went forth and wrote, sorry it took so long! Thank you to the fabulous Ellie5192 for her help with making sure my Aussie was up to snuff. Hope y'all like it!**

 **And as a disclaimer: I own nothing of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, I'm just having some fun with them and I'll put them back relatively unharmed.**

Lucien paced the narrow cellar. They had both searched the space for a way out. Yelling for help while giving them something to do would have been useless. They were in the middle of nowhere between two properties separated by kilometers of fields.

Jean could see the sweat beginning to stain through his shirt, his jacket and waistcoat long gone. There were no tremors in his hands, he was okay for now. She'd let him pace a little more knowing he needed to think, but he was bound to work himself into a lather if he continued for too long. He'd do some-

Before she finished the thought Lucien had reared back and began to charge the entrance. He made it up the stairs his shoulder slamming against the barred doors. Like a rag doll he fell backward his large frame tumbling down the rickety steps.

Jean rushed forward, "Lucien!" Kneeling beside him she turned him to his back so she could examine him better. He groaned at the movement but in the moment she had no pity for him, "What were you thinking?!"

He tried to move the arm that he'd tried to use as a battering ram, and gasped in pain. "I wasn't." He lifted his good arm to run his hand over his forehead. "I needed to get out."

She huffed, "I could see that. I know you have problems with confined spaces..." His startling blue eyes narrowed in on her, she ignored him. "But this penchant you have of hurting yourself as a distraction needs to stop."

She prodded at his arm. Between helping Lucien with his patients and Mattie teaching her first aid Jean had gotten quite good at being mend simple injuries. It didn't feel broken or dislocated but it would hurt for a good long while. It served him right, next time he'd think twice. She didn't really mean that but he infuriated her.

Lucien for his part resisted the urge to swat her hand away from his arm. It wouldn't do to try and take his frustration out on her. She was only trying to help and like always he was being a big bloody idiot and he deserved a little pain to remind him not to be so stupid.

He sighed, "You're right Jean."

She blinked in surprise. At most she expected silent acquiescence. She didn't know how to respond, her gaze flittered from his shoulder to his nose, to make contact with his own intense stare. Only to go back to looking at her hands on his shoulder, "Yes, well, nice to hear you finally admit that." She smiled a small smile to take any bite out of her words.

Lucien huffed in amusement, "Well I figure it's about time I start listening to what you have to say."

"Yes, well let's get you sitting up."

Lucien did most of the work as Jean supported his shoulder, together they sat on the stairs. Once seated he gingerly rotated his shoulder, hissing in pain.

"Are you sure you should be moving it so soon."

"Yes... it doesn't feel broken and it's best not let it freeze up in pain."

Jean placed her hand on the back of his neck, lightly running her fingers through the soft curls there. He sighed, as if he was cleansing himself, and leaned into her touch.

"Oh Jean, I've made a right mess of things... again. Only this time I've dragged you along with me."

She snorted, "I seem to remember that I insisted that you bring me along." Her hand moved to caress his cheek, "We agreed that we are partners in everything, remember?"

Lucien covered her hand with his own, "Yes I remember. Now we're stuck here in the middle of bloody nowhere and no one knows where we are."

She smiled, "Well I wouldn't say no one knows where we are."

His eyebrows drew together, "We rushed right over after we-"

"I left a note for Charlie, you drongo. You're used to running off without a word to anyone but that has gotten you in trouble. So I scribbled a quick note and ran out after you."

"Is that what took you so long? I thought you were grabbing your purse."

She scoffed, swatting at his good arm.

He grabbed her hand, laughing, "Oy! You wouldn't hurt an invalid would you?"

He kissed her wrist and Jean's heart fluttered. Lucien never played fair and she could never stay mad at him for very long.

"You're still a drongo, but you're my drongo."

She tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. He came willingly leaning into her kiss. He tried to move closer to her but winced against her lips in pain.

Jean broke away, worried, "Are you alright?"

Lucien hissed in pain, "Yes I'm fine. I just forgot about my arm."

She moved to get up "I'm sorry."

Lucien stopped her from getting up, "I'm fine, I promise."

He scanned the room around them, this time looking for comfort instead of escape. There wasn't much in the cellar but against the far wall there were old canvas drop cloths against the wall. "I probably should sit against the wall though. Take some weight off my shoulder." He nodded over to the drop cloths.

Getting up was hard while trying to keep his shoulder immobile but they made it across the room okay.

Once settled Jean asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Lucien, tired from the pain and stress, asked, "Talk to me until someone finds us?"

Jean ran her hand across his forehead, soothing away the wrinkles she found, "Of course."

Jean started reciting, first her favorite sonnets from memory, then parts of plays she could remember, then the ingredients to recipes. Until she heard a car drive onto the property. She ran to the cellar door, banging on it until Charlie and Bill found them.


End file.
